LETTER208

letter208

charleslambtowilliamwordsworth

[p.m.illegible.sept.19,1814.]

mydearw.ihavescarcetimeorquiettoexplainmypresentsituation,howunquietanddistracteditis….owingtotheabsenceofsomeofmycompeers,andtothedeficientstateofpaymentsate.i.h.owingtobadpeacespeculationsinthecalicomarket(iwritethistow.w.,esq.collectorofstampdutiesfortheconjointnortherncounties,nottow.w.poet)igoback,andhaveforthismanydayspast,toeveningwork,generallyattherateofninehoursaday.thenatureofmyworktoo,puzzlingandhurrying,hassoshakenmyspirits,thatmysleepisnothingbutaessionofdreamsofbusinessicannotdo,ofassistantsthatgivemenoassistance,ofterribleresponsibilities.ireclaimedyourbook,whichhazlithasuncivillykept,only2daysago,andhavemadeshifttoreaditagainwithshatterdbrain.itdoesnotlose—rathersomepartshavecomeoutwithaprominenceididnotperceivebefore—butsuchwasmyachingheadyesterday(sunday)thatthebookwaslikeamount'n.landscapetoonethatshouldwalkontheedgeofaprecipice.iperceivedbeautydizzily.nowwhatiwouldsayis,thatiseenoprospectofaquiethalfdayorhoureventillthisweekandthenextarepast.ithenhopetoget4weeksabsence,andifthenistimeenoughtobeginiwillmostgladlydowhatyourequire,tho'ifeelmyinability,formybrainisalwaysdesultoryandsnatchesoffhintsfromthings,butcanseldomfollowa"work"methodically.butthatshallbenoexcuse.whatibegyoutodoistoletmeknowfromsouthey,ifthatwillbetimeenoughforthe"quarterly,"i.e.supposeitdonein3weeksfromthisdate(19sept.):ifnotitismyboundendutytoexpressmyregret,anddeclineit.marythanksyouandfeelshighlygratefulforyourpatentofnobility,andacknowlegestheauthorofexcursionasthelegitimatefountainofhonor.webothagree,thattoourfeelingellenisbestassheis.toustherewouldhavebeensomethingrepugnantinherchallengingherpenanceasadowry!thefactisexplicable,buthowfewtowhomitcouldhavebeenrenderdexplicit!

theunluckyreasonofthedetentionofexcursionwas,hazlitandwehavingamisunderstanding.heblowedusupabout6monthsago,sincewhichtheunionhathsnapt,butm.burneyborrowditforhimandafterreiteratedmessagesionlygotitonfriday.hisremarkshadsomevigorinthem,particularlysomethingaboutanoldruinbeingtoomodernforyourprimevalnature,andaboutalichen,butiforgetthepassage,butthewholeworeaslovenlyairofdispatchanddisrespect.thatobjectionwhichm.burneyhadimbibedfromhimaboutvoltaire,iexplaindtom.b.(ortried)exactlyonyourprincipleofitsbeingacharacteristicspeech.thatitwasnosettledcomparativeestimateofvoltairewithanyofhisowntribeofbuffoons—noinjustice,evenyouspokeit,foridaredsayyounevercouldrelishcandide.iknowitriedtogetthro'itaboutatwelvemonthsince,andcouldn'tforthedullness.now,ithinkihaveawiderrangeinbuffoonerythanyou.toomuchtolerationperhaps.

ifinishthisafterarawillbakddinner,fastgobbledup,tosetmeofftoofficeagainafterworkingtheretillnearfour.ochrist!howiwishiwerearichman,eventho'iweresqueezedcamel-fashionatgettingthro'thatneedleseyethatisspokenofinthewrittenword.apropos,areyouaxtian?orisitthepedlarandthepriestthatare?

ifindimiscalldthatcelestialsplendorofthemistgoingoff,asunset.thatonlyshewsmyuracyofhead.

doprayindulgemebywritingananswertothepointoftimementionedabove,orletsouthey.iamasham'dtogobargaininginthisway,butindeedihavenotimeicanreckonontillthe1stweekinocto'r.godsendimaynotbedisappointedinthat!

coleridgesworeinlettertomehewouldreviewexc'n.inthequarterly.therefore,tho'thatshallnotstopme,yetificandoanything,whendone,imustknowofhimifhehasanythingready,orishallfilltheworldwithloudexclaims.

ikeepwritingon,knowingthepostageisnomoreformuchwriting,elsesod&disjointediamwithdamndindiahousework,iscarceknowwhatido.myleftarmreposeson"excursion."ifeelwhatitwouldbeinquiet.itisnowasealedbook.

ohappyparis,seatofidlenessandpleasure!fromsomereturn'denglishihearthatnotsuchathingasacountinghouseistobeseeninherstreets,scarceadesk—earthquakesswallowupthismercantilecityanditsgripplemerchants,asdraytonhathit,"borntobethecurseofthisbraveisle."iinvokethisnotonaccountofanyparsimonioushabitsthemercantileinterestmayhave,but,toconfesstruth,becauseiamnotfitforanoffice.

farewell,inhaste,fromaheadthatisilltomethodize,astomachtodigest,andalloutoftune.betterharmoniesawaityou.

c.lamb.

[wordsworthhadbeenappointedin1813distributorofstampsforthecountyofwestmoreland.lambiswritingagainabouttheexcursion,whichattheinstigationofsouthey,towhomwordsworthhadmadetheestion,heistoreviewforthequarterly.

"hazlittandwehavingamisunderstanding."theprecisecauseofthetroublewedonotknow,butincrabbrobinson'sdiary,in1811,itissaidthataslightcoolnesshadbegunbetweenthetwomenonaccountofmoneywhichlambdidnotfeeljustifiedinlendingtohazlitt.between1811and1814,however,theywerefriendlyagain.itwashazlitt'shostileattitudetowordsworththatbroughtaboutrobinson'ssplitwithhim,althoughthatalsowasmended:literarymenareshorthaters.hazlittreviewedtheexcursion—fromlamb'scopy,whichinitselfwasacauseofgrievance—intheexaminer,inthreenumbers,august21,28andoctober2.wordsworthhaddescribedcandide,inbookii.,asthe"dullproductofascoffer'spen."hazlittwrotethus:—

…wecannothoweveragreewithmr.wordsworththatcandideisdull.itis,ifourauthorpleases,"theproductionofascoffer'spen,"oritisanything,butdull.rasselasindeedisdull;butthenitisprivilegeddulness.itmaynotbeproperinagrave,discreet,orthodox,promisingyoungdivine,whostudieshisopinionsinthecontractionordistensionofhispatron'sbrow,toallowanymerittoaworklikecandide;butweconceivethatitwouldhavebeenmoreincharacter,thatis,moremanly,inmr.wordsworth,nordowethinkitwouldhavehurtthecauseheespouses,ifhehadblottedouttheepithet,afterithadpeevishlyescapedhim.whatsoeversavoursofalittle,narrow,inquisitorialspirit,doesnotsitwellonapoetandamanofgenius.theprejudicesofaphilosopherarenotnatural….

lambhimselfmadethesamecriticism,threeyearslater,athaydon'sdinnerparty.

hazlitthadalsosaidoftheexcursionthat—

suchistheseveresimplicityofmr.wordsworth'staste,thatwedoubtwhetherhewouldnotrejectadruidicaltemple,ortime-hallowedruin,astoomodernandartificialforhispurpose.heonlyfamiliariseshimselforhisreaderswithastone,coveredwithlichens,whichhassleptinthesamespotofgroundfromthecreationoftheworld,orwiththerockyfissurebetweentwomountains,causedbythunder,orwithacavernscoopedoutbythesea.hismindis,asitwere,coevalwiththeprimaryformsofthings,holdsimmediatelyfromnature;andhisimagination"owesnoallegiance"but"totheelements."

"areyouaxtian?"—referringtothesentimentsofwandererandthe

pastor—twocharactersoftheexcursion.

"asunset."seeprecedinglettertowordsworth.

hereshouldcomealetterfromlambtosouthey,datedoctober20,1814,statingthatlambhasdepositedwithmr.grosvenorbedford,southey'sfriendandcorrespondent,hisreviewoftheexcursion."whocancramintoastraitcoopofareviewanyseriousideaofsuchavastandmagnificentpoem?"]